Missing Scenes, Yes Men
by sammie28
Summary: Ward falls under Lorelei's spell. Episode speculation for "Yes Men".


**Missing Scenes, "Yes Men"**  
by Sammie

DISCLAIMER: Doesn't belong to me.

RATING: T.

SUMMARY: Ward falls under Lorelei's spell. Episode speculation for "Yes Men".

A/N:  
- Haven't seen "Yes Men" yet - I wasn't home, and of course ABC doesn't post their episodes the day after. Thank you, ABC. .:eyeroll:. This my speculation of how "Yes Men" should go (or should have gone). The style's different from my other "SHIELD" stories - less on the character thinking part. Don't know if it will fly, but what the heck.

- Ward just doesn't do well with Asgardian stuff, does he? This started as episode speculation for "The Well" and included Ward's bus takeover. The show went subtler for "The Well" and then reserved the plane thing for "Repairs". After seeing both episodes, I thought posting this would be redundant. Now, well, whatever. :-D

- **leans Ward/Simmons and May/Coulson. You are warned.**

- stole shamelessly from "SG-1" for the sciency stuff. Thank you, Dr. Fraiser.

- UPDATED TO ADD: Finally having seen the episode, I have to admit I was shocked at how far tptb decided to go with the mind control and then very irritated at how the consequences were completely ignored. Really, show? If Ward had been female and some dude mind-controlled her and then slept with her, it'd be rape. But here, no one says anything and Ward gets a punch in the face. Hello?!

* * *

Coulson paced the floor of the lab, his arms crossed, the fingers of one hand drumming the elbow of the other impatiently. The eyes of the three youngest members of the team followed him nervously back and forth and back and forth, until May's voice cut in sharply: "I'm fine."

The agent stopped pacing long enough to give her a dark look. "Clearly not."

May just stared right back from where she sat on the lab table, stripped down to a tanktop and shorts. She had a set of stitches on her left brow; her right side was taped straight down the ribcage, the bandages visible underneath her top; numerous cuts and bruises from head to toe had been treated topically; and her left arm was in a sling. "I'm. FINE."

The three youngest team members exchanged wide-eyed, "uh-oh" looks. Simmons tugged on her navy blue sweater. No one said anything.

"Simmons," Coulson replied shortly. "Update."

The biochemist gulped a little, looking at May, almost as if for permission. She then reported in her crisp, scientist voice, "Agent May sustained a few fractured ribs - thankfully, nothing broken; a fractured ulna, hence the sling; a hit to the head which caused the wound above, requiring stitches - but it's worse than it looks, because head wounds tend to bleed quite badly when - " she stopped her positive commentary with Coulson glared, even if May looked approving of her attempt to comfort Coulson. "Agent May also has multiple bruising and lacerations."

Coulson's eyes flickered to the TV monitor, where inside the interrogation room the specialist paced the room tensely, as if his legs had springs in them. Lorelei simply lounged on the mattress in the room, seemingly without a care in the world, watching him pace with a self-satisfied expression.

"Agent May, I must apologize for my tardiness in intervening." The Asgardian finally spoke, inclining her head towards her fellow warrior. "Had I been more alert, I would have realized Lorelei's designs on your teammate." Lady Sif's voice was stoically calm but apologetic.

May shook her head to indicate no apology was necessary. "We didn't anticipate it, either."

"What happened?" Coulson replied sharply, turning to the rest of the team.

"We were just out in the field, and you and May were with Simmons, examining that flipped car," Fitz began. "The four of us - Ward and Skye and me and Lady Sif - were looking for other clues. Ward went over to this small cave to investigate something, and when he came back, he was that." He waved at the monitor to punctuate his statement.

"That's when I radioed in," Skye picked up the thread. "Lady Sif took one look at him and got suspicious." She nodded to the warrior standing nearby. "She ran off towards the cave just as May arrived."

"It was quite obvious Lorelei had bewitched Agent Ward," Sif offered.

"May and Ward started fighting," Skye continued. "Fitz finally managed to get a bead on Ward, even as they fought, and hit him square in the back of the chest with a single shot from the night-night pistol." Her tone was a little admiring.

"It was a good shot," May acknowledged. Fitz blushed even as his lab partner beamed in delight for her old friend.

"How did Ward end up - like this?" Coulson asked impatiently, redirecting the conversation back his main concern. "Did he touch something Asgardian? You know how he is with that."

"He touched Lorelei," Fitz pointed out. Skye snorted a giggle, but at Coulson's glare, they shut up.

"Lorelei often uses potions," Simmons said thoughtfully. "Maybe she used one on Ward."

"Agent Simmons is correct," Sif said. "Lorelei has a wealth of elixirs at her disposal."

"Yeah, but who would drink something that was offered to them by a stranger? Especially since we knew we were hunting her? Ward wouldn't accept some drink from a stranger," Skye pointed out.

"Lorelei has a few elixirs which are borne on her breath, and a few which are powders," Sif supplied.

"Elixir emitted through the mouth, possibly," Fitz repeated thoughtfully. "That's a real possibility."

"Like Rappaccini's daughter!" Simmons said, pointing excitedly with a gloved hand.

"Like Rappaccini's daughter," Fitz confirmed. "That would explain why she was carrying nothing on her person to make Ward or us suspect anything." He suddenly frowned, then sat up, holding up his hand thoughtfully. "When Lady Sif brought her here - when you were distracted, Lorelei leaned over to me, close to my face. Her breath smelled like lilacs."

"So she went after Fitz, too," May said, frowning. "But why aren't any of us affected?"

"Lorelei's elixirs affect only men, Asgardian or Midgardian," Sif replied. "We are quite fortunate in that regard."

"Of course, lucky us," Skye muttered.

"There are other Asgardians with more powerful abilities who can affect both men and women. They, however, are not self-serving enough to conquer an innocent world." Lady Sif nodded towards Fitz. "I do wonder how Agent Fitz escaped. He met Lorelei and was transported in the same car as her, but prolonged exposure has not affected him. In him may lie the solution not only to healing Agent Ward but creating a preventive cure for the rest of Midgard."

"What do you do in Asgard for people she tricks?" Coulson asked.

"We imprison her, with female guards. We also have antidotes for her potions, but I fear the strength of the antidote may be more than Agent Ward's physical body can bear."

"Three of us already have alien or alien-based crap in us," Skye commented, looking towards Coulson and Simmons. "What can one more hurt?" At the five sets of glares pointed her way, she just shrugged. "Just pointing out."

"Let's...try human-based solutions first," Fitz suggested, stepping forward and looking straight at his old friend. He rolled up a sleeve and presented his arm to her, his free hand handing her a syringe to draw blood. "Let's fix Ward."

* * *

Coulson sat at his desk, papers laid out in front of him but his eyes glued to the television monitor. Inside, Ward raged, slamming his fists against the alloy walls and shouting, throwing himself against the door. The walls took the beating without a mark left.

More worrisome was the blood on the walls, streaks from where Ward's skin had broken while he was raging.

May rapped lightly on the door, then came in without waiting for an invitation. "We'll reach the Bifrost in four hours. Sif says Heimdall has been watching vigilantly for her return; she'll take Lorelei back to Asgard and return with an antidote if FitzSimmons haven't fixed Ward yet."

"Good." Coulson sighed, rubbing his eyes as he continued to watch the screen.

She glanced at the screen, then at Coulson's pained expression. "You made the right decision. Simmons had to draw blood, but Ward would've torn her apart if he'd been conscious when she drew it. You had to shoot him with the dendrotoxin."

"Doesn't make the decision easier."

"No. But that's why you're Level 8." She seated herself in the chair in front of his desk.

"Sif was not happy when she learned Ward had touched a beserker staff before," Coulson said, his voice tense. "Said that was exactly how Lorelei had nearly taken Asgard: worked her potions on a beserker army, who raged across Asgard killing all in its path. She thinks Lorelei may have accentuated Ward's paranoia to keep him loyal to her."

May sighed, then folded her hands and placed them purposefully into her lap. She said nothing.

"Now we've just increased his paranoia again," Coulson continued. "He's seen all of us - well, except Simmons - trying to subdue him, physically or with the night-night gun. And Sif pinning Lorelei to the mat like a wrestler while I pointed the gun at him - " the older man sighed and rubbed his eyes. "He was just learning to trust us," he said soberly.

"Hard decision, but that's why you're level 8," May repeated, her tone calm and neutral.

Coulson glanced at her, then back at the monitor. "FitzSimmons?"

"Simmons is still working on the blood samples. Fitz is trying to get into the interrogation room without alerting Ward. He wants to pump in a sedative. They don't want to use the night-night gun again."

Coulson frowned at that, his expression slightly confused and wholly concerned. "Why not?"

May gave him a look. "Besides aiming a gun at a teammate? It's still a toxin, Phil. Simmons is worried."

Coulson slumped slightly in his chair, resting his right elbow on the armest and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Dendrotoxin poisoning. Please tell me you're joking."

"Simmons had a colleague in California who got localized impairment of nerve function after handling .5 microliters of nanomolar dendrotoxin and rubbing her eye. The effects wore off after 12 hours, but Simmons doesn't want to risk anything similar with Ward."

When Coulson did not respond except to heave a big sigh, May just smiled gently. "Phil, we're all alive, and you have FitzSimmons. Let them do their job."

* * *

Skye came running into his office, not bothering to knock and flinging the door open. "They figured it out!" she announced breathlessly, then was out of the room like a shot, half-jumping down the spiral staircase to the main floor briefing room.

"How's Ward?" Coulson asked as he and May came in, the latter limping ever so slightly. She leaned against the big holotable, using it to prop herself up; Coulson silently brought a bar stool over to her and set it down beside her.

"Sleeping," Fitz replied, pointing to a corner camera. Ward had dragged his mattress as close under the camera he could, so that they could only see half the mattress. There was a long lump on it. Lorelei slept on the other mattress, across the room. "Thankfully, they're sleeping apart." He made a face as Skye giggled.

"Your sedative experiment worked?" Coulson asked.

"No. Just as the DWARVE came close to the grate over the ventilation system, Ward got up and just crushed the defenseless little thing with his hand," Fitz mourned. "I doubt any of the sedative actually got in Ward, so this sleeping I didn't cause."

"Which DWARVE?" Skye sympathized.

"Sleepy."

"Very appropriate choice," Skye complimented as Coulson and May just gave tolerantly impatient looks. Sif looked slightly baffled.

"I thought so," Fitz sighed. "Ward didn't appreciate the effort."

"Are we really having this conversation right now?!" Simmons' exclamation came over the intercom loud and clear. The others turned to see her on the monitor, even as tugged on her white Peter Pan collar to readjust the microphone clipped there. When Fitz and Skye fell silent, she waved at Coulson.

"Why is she down there and we are up here?" Coulson said mildly, but his tone holding a warning chastisement.

"Because it reeks to high heaven down there," Skye said.

"Jemma did something horrible to our lab," Fitz exclaimed, clearly miffed and not at all upset to be tattling on his lab partner.

"I did not!" Jemma looked indignant, even over the monitor. "It's perfectly fine!"

"I'm going to have to bleach my area!" Fitz continued indignantly to Coulson.

"You will not! This is just you overreacting!"

"Even Skye is complaining about it!" Fitz shouted at her, as if she were standing right next to them. "It's not just me!"

"Ward would take my side," Jemma grumbled audibly.

"Of course he would," Fitz growled sarcastically. "That's because, to him, you - "

"Guys? Please?" Coulson sighed. "Simmons, go ahead."

"I've finally discovered why Fitz weren't affected by whatever Lorelei attempted to blow at him from her mouth." She beamed happily with her discovery, the earlier insults hurled at her now forgotten.

"And?" Coulson prompted, his arms crossed.

"Ward and Fitz have in their blood an organism unlike any I've seen on Earth. It replicates much the way a virus does: it latches onto a cell, kills the nucleus, then uses the host's cellular machinery to clone itself and infect other cells. The body has the ability to fight this virus, as it does our own Earth-bound viruses."

"How long do we have to wait?" May asked.

"Several days," Simmons replied, with a small grimace.

"Ward does not have several days!" Coulson's voice rose a notch. "Tell me you have something else."

"I do." Simmons brightened. "The organism replicates like a virus but acts, however, much as an allergen does, stimulating the body's response to it. In this case, rather than sneezing or having a normal allergic response, it's stimulating the part of the brain dealing with lust, paranoia, love, excessive adrenaline. His body then responds."

May frowned as she listened, then suddenly asked, incredulously, "Ward's having an allergic reaction?"

"Wait. I'm not ill. Are you saying I'm allergic to women?" Fitz exclaimed at the same time, horrified.

"I am sure that there are women who find your intelligence attractive," Lady Sif commented, in an attempt to be comforting.

"D-mn-d with faint praise," Fitz muttered.

"Just less women for me to compete with," Skye cooed in a half-joking manner, grabbing his face with her hands in a mock affectionate manner.

Fitz just glared as he shook her off. "Really, you need some lessons in being more of a supportive fake girlfriend."

"Actually, Fitz," Simmons corrected, "what I'm saying is that you are immune to women, and Ward is allergic to them."

There was a long pause, and then Skye announced with glee, "I will never let him hear the end of this one."

"So what's the solution?" Coulson cut in.

"An antihistamine regimen, just until his body can destroy the virus."

"That's it?" May asked incredulously.

"He just needs a Claritin?" Skye exclaimed.

"Yes, in a sense. Ward's heightened libido, heightened strength - these are the signs of his allergic reaction."

"My nose just runs," Fitz said glumly.

Coulson rubbed his brow, his other arm still folded across his chest. "Please tell me you have a solution."

Simmons' face shone. "I do. The reason Fitz has been unaffected is because he has a high level of antihistamines in his blood. Fitz has a heavy supply of allergy medication he takes regularly."

"I just want to say that one in three Scots have allergies, so I'm not alone," Fitz said defensively, holding up one finger to make a point. "And it's been better since I haven't been home."

"Fitz also drinks tea," Simmons added. "A great deal of it. The antihistamines in it are blocking the effects of the airborne potion until his body can naturally dispose of the virus." She paused. "Sir, I strongly suggest that I give you a small shot of antihistamine and that you also wear a mask. Although we control the venting from the interrogation room, just in case Lorelei's potion does get into the ventilation system, we don't want you being affected by it."

Coulson nodded. "Good idea. Can we do the same with Ward?"

"Agent Ward's prolonged exposure will require stronger measures," Sif disagreed.

"I'm afraid the Lady Sif is correct," Simmons grimaced. "Yours, sir, is preventative. Ward's will have to be remediative."

"So we have to hit Ward with a high dose of antihistamine," Coulson replied, his tone cautiously optimistic.

"Yes, but I'd prefer it to be a steady drip rather than taken all at once." Simmons grimaced a little.

"He'll never let us put an IV in," Skye pointed out.

"But Claritin is a timed release medicine, isn't it?" Coulson frowned.

"Yes, but right now I don't have the resources or time to make a timed-released caplet," Simmons argued.

Fitz added, "And even if she did, who's going to make him take it?"

"What about an aerial mist?" May asked.

"The best form of adminstration would be through a facial mask. Pumping it into the room would require extremely high doses that I don't have."

"So we have to hold him down long enough to get this all into him." Coulson pinched the bridge of his nose. "Suggestions."

"Sedative."

"Who's going to get close enough to jab him with a needle?" Skye pointed out. "We could use the night-night gun again."

"No." Simmons was adamant. "We've already shot him three times today with the dendrotoxin and already given him a sedative when he started to wake up on the car ride back to the bus. He can't take much more. His body needs time to shed the toxin."

"We may not have a choice," Coulson muttered. "What about - "

Suddenly the lights flickered, and the room went dark, the feed winking out, leaving them in near darkness, only helped by the natural light coming in some of the side windows from outside the plane. Three seconds later, the plane began to pitch.

May had already disappeared, and they heard the door to the cockpit slam shut and click. Sif had taken off the down the hallway in a run to guard the prisoner. Coulson grabbed a flashlight off the wall. "You two with me!"

They barrelled down to the lab, slipping and sliding across the floor of the tilting plane, bumping into each other and trying to steady each other as they stumbled to and down the stairwell to the cargo by. "Jemma!" Fitz banged on the glass door to the lab, and it suddenly whooshed open, the three of them falling into the lab as she quickly shut it.

"What is happening?" she exclaimed.

"I got a bad feeling about this. We're sure Ward was sleeping, right?" Coulson replied.

"Well, yeah, I mean - we saw the lump at the bottom of the camera, so we assumed he was, having been tired out from all that raging," Fitz replied.

"You think he got out," Skye said, searching for Coulson's eyes in the dark.

"When you pulled back that part of the wall and exposed the grate to try to get Sleepy into the interrogation room - Ward broke the grate, didn't he?" Coulson pointed out, turning quickly to Fitz.

The engineer gave a soft groan as he figured it out. "He went through the air ducts," Fitz breathed, realizing what Coulson was hinting at. "This is bad."

"He could be anywhere in the plane."

"Well, we can assume he's by the fuse box," Fitz muttered.

"He pulled the electrical wires?" Skye asked.

"And the entire computer system," Fitz groaned from where he'd been punching frantically at his tablet. "Nothing's online. That must be why the plane pitched."

"He's going to come here to the lab," Coulson replied. "If he's paranoid, this is the first place he'll come, to try to destroy whatever it is Simmons is making to fix him." He started pulling weapons off of the shelves. "I need you two to get into the electrical system, see if you can't at least get our essential systems and the computer back online."

He started pulling open the supply cabinet. "Take the night-night pistol. Skye, I'm taking the safety off now. Just fire. Fitz, you know how the tranquilizer gun works."

"What about Simmons?" Fitz asked, concerned. "She's the target, since she's making the medicine."

"I'll be here in the lab, with the night-night rifle."

"You'll have to reload too often," Skye pointed out.

"Let's hope I won't need to." Coulson paused. "Do you remember the schematic of the hallways leading into the fuse boxes?"

Fitz nodded.

"You remember all that?" Skye asked incredulously.

"Ward teach you how to clear a hallway?" Coulson interrupted, turning to her.

Skye nodded silently.

"Now's the time to use it. Remember, the two of you are going to have to avoid him. Don't engage. Hide in the rooms, let him pass. Cover each other's backs."

The two looked at each other nervously. "Just like Pac Man," Skye mumbled.

"We got two pairs of night vision goggles in here." Coulson frowned. "Only two? For a flight of six?"

"They gave one for you and one for Ward," Fitz said sheepishly.

Coulson sighed. "Tell me this isn't a government operation."

"We could use this." Fitz pulled out the familiar pair of dark-rimmed Clark Kent glasses Ward had used while they chased Akela Amador. The engineer put them on, then clicked the button on the side, to approving nods.

"Can you see?" Coulson asked.

"Gives us an advantage over him, that's for sure," Fitz replied.

"Just try to avoid him," Coulson replied. "Get to the fuse box, get it online. Then take yourselves up to the cockpit. You can hack the plane's system from there," he said to Skye, then turned back to the pair, "and May will need you to help keep the bus in the air if she has to fight off Ward at the same time."

"Be careful," Jemma said quietly.

"We're avoiding him. We'll be fine," Fitz replied assuringly as he could.

"Pac Man," Skye replied, holding out a fist, barely visible in the dark, pulling down her goggles.

"Pac Man," Fitz replied, looking down with the glasses and accurately meeting her fist with his.

"Go. Quickly." Coulson pushed the back door to the lab open and shooed them out. As the doors slid shut, he turned to Jemma. "Give me your lab coat."

"What?"

"Give me your lab coat."

Jemma slid it off, then handed it to him. He tossed it into the closet, then carefully moved Simmons so she was not visible from the major doorways, then carefully settled himself into position where he could see both entryways into the lab.

Simmons gave a small, tense sigh. He smiled as encouragingly as he could, before stopping when it was obvious she couldn't see him in the dark.

* * *

There was a squeak on the stairs above the lab, and both Coulson and Simmons jerked up, looking towards the top of the stairs. Before they could re-orient themselves, there was a loud thud, the door of the lab smashing open. Coulson swore to himself as the specialist dropped straight from the mezzanine through the glass into the lab. He had barely pointed the night-night rifle when the younger man ripped it out of his hands and grabbed him, flinging him out the lab.

The Level 8 could see Simmons standing up in the lab. Although she wore a navy blue sweater and dark pants, the white of her Peter Pan collar gave her away. He gave a small shake of his head, even if she could not see it.

He quickly gave a small shout to divert Ward's attention out of the lab and onto himself. He looked down at his flashlight, his thumb on the power-on button, but did not turn it on. He narrowed his eyes, looking for Ward; he could not see the specialist, but the advantage was that Ward could not see him. At one point the rampaging agent looked straight past him as his gaze swept the room.

Coulson heard the distinct sound of a knifeblade exiting its locked position in a pocketknife, the quiet "fling" surprisingly clear even over the roar of the plane. He quietly circled Lola, putting the car between himself and the sound.

The two men circled each other, the only sound nearly-silent pressing of shoes to the floor.

Suddenly Coulson felt a strong hand on his arm, and he was getting pounded. He barely managed to wrench his shoulder out of Ward's grasp. He rolled under the SUV, and as he was climbing out, he heard a sickening crack as Ward stepped on his right forearm. Biting back a shout of pain, he yanked back his arm and rolled to the side ninety degrees, coming out from under the SUV at its trunk. Thankfully no blood - yet.

He looked up to see Ward starting towards the lab, and he quickly called out. He pulled himself towards Lola and rounded the back of the car, nearing the wall where they hung the parachutes. He hunkered down behind her, and called again, allowing his voice to echo around the cargo bay area.

Clearly fed up, Ward punched the cargo bay doors, flinging the ramp down and flooding the cargo hold with light. Seeing his target, he took a big step towards Coulson. The wind screamed behind him as Coulson vaulted over Lola towards the SUV. He didn't make it.

Ward came at him with the knife, tearing towards his leg. Coulson flipped away as quickly as he could, taking the gash more on the side; he figured Ward had been going for the femoral artery. He looked up into his agent's face, only to see the normally guarded dark eyes now completely feral. There was recognition, but not enough to do any good. Ward's lack of trust for even those around him - thus preferring to work alone - plus the bad experience of being abandoned by the Hub and being lied to about an extraction team, and their subsequent disagreements over May - had clearly done its damage.

Ward pressed down hard on Coulson's injured arm, and the older agent bit back a scream of pain. The younger man started pushing him towards the open cargo bay door, and Coulson could feel his dress shoes scratching against the floor, trying to gain traction. He noted dimly that Ward was wearing some vest to which was hooked a long bungee cord, which was lashed to the wall. The specialist might have been under Lorelei's influence, but he could still think clearly enough to make sure he wasn't sucked out of the plane.

Coulson barely managed to catch the edge of the ramp as Ward attempted to push him off the plane. He felt himself dangling off plane, legs kicking in the cold air of the atmosphere, his fingers barely gripping a metal lock used to secure the cars to the bay floor. He could feel his left hand losing its grip on that lock, even as his wounded right arm grasped weakly at something to anchor him. For a second his mind disconnected, and the first thing he thought of was Simmons - how frightened she must have been when she was ill, how determined she was when she made that decision to stand here and throw herself off the plane.

He saw Ward step forward from his place between the two vehicles, his expression intent. Coulson worried about May - he hoped she wouldn't take his second death upon herself. And Skye - who would take care of Skye when he was gone? FitzSimmons would land on their feet - there was no one who wouldn't want their expertise. And Ward? Would they be able to treat Ward physically and then psychologically? He would never recover if he learned he'd killed his own boss, even while under the influence. Or would SHIELD just treat him as a a piece of trash to toss?

He saw Ward's boot now by his hand, on the left, and Coulson prepared himself for the blow of the boot on his fingers; he could almost feel the pain before it actually happened.

"Sir!" There was a clatter.

Just as Coulson felt his fingers slipping, an iron grip came down around his right bicep. He looked up to his right to see Simmons, both arms over the side of the cargo bay door, her foot hooked into the strap holding the SUV in place as they dangled out of the cargo bay door, thousands of feet above the ground.

"Simmons, get out of here!"

She pulled, and he was surprised at her level of strength. He managed to get a grip back on the hook he had been holding on to, and she was helping to haul him up, pulling him back into the cargo bay to rest by the wall to the right of the SUV.

He didn't have time to register the fact that Ward had not yet done anything, rather too surprised that he'd actually survived his near fall from the plane. When the specialist came into view, both Coulson and Simmons looked up instantly, Coulson seated on the floor, Simmons kneeling beside him. As Ward stepped forward, she gasped and turned quickly to face him, using her small body to block the wounded agent's, spreading her arms protectively behind her.

"Jemma, get out of here," Coulson whispered, trying to pull himself away from the doorway, nursing his broken arm.

It was as if she hadn't heard him. "No," she begged Ward. "Please, don't."

Coulson dragged himself as far up the ramp as he could, nestling himself against the side wall, away from the door. He saw the night-night rifle, several feet away, right where Jemma must have dropped it in order to catch him. He inched towards it, wincing at the pain in his forearm and shoulder on one side and in his broken fingers in the other.

"Get rid of them!" The ringing, singsong voice sounded down from the mezzanine. "Toss them off this plane. They're in the way."

Coulson looked up to see Lorelei, flushed from what was no doubt her battle with Sif. She was shouting at Ward, pointing straight down at Coulson and Simmons.

The rifle was still several feet away, and all he could see in front of him was Simmons' shadow; it seemed to block him completely from Ward's view. "Please," her voice was soft. "Ward, please."

"Grant!" Lorelei's voice had that edge of steel wrapped in velvet.

Coulson finally lay flat, his good hand pulling the rifle's barrel towards himself. He nestled himself back into the corner of the plane and pulled himself upright. He gripped the night-night rifle, and then sat up before pulling the rifle onto his lap, trying to level it on his knees, pointing it at Ward. He brushed away the blood from his eye, clearing up a little of his vision. Coulson started to aim, but could feel the rifle slide on his knees. He struggled to get it level, and then he looked over at Ward.

Simmons was standing now, right behind the SUV, her fingers grappling at the smooth metal in fear as the wind whipped around her, pulling her hair out of her ponytail. Her dark jeans and dark blue sweater, the white Peter Pan collar out on top of the sweater, coupled with the look of half fear, half sorrow on her face gave Coulson an eerie sense of deja vu. The trauma of her fall several months before was no doubt still with her, coupled with the fear she no doubt felt given how she'd seen her teammate react.

Coulson tried to angle the rifle, getting the barrel farther up. He considered shooting Lorelei herself first with the night-night rifle - he could be accurate, even with just one shot and his fingers broken and vision blurred. Still, the possibility that the night-night round would be entirely wasted on an Asgardian made him stop.

"Dump her off the plane!" Lorelei gave the command again, her voice rising.

The sharpness in her voice made Coulson stop for a second, his blurred gaze quickly switching back to the biochemist. Lorelei's third command - and Simmons was still there.

Suddenly there was a loud thump, and Sif appeared in the stairwell, launching herself towards the other Asgardian. Lorelei's shout was shrill, and Coulson was sure that was enough to move the man who was under her control. He quickly gripped the gun and swung the barrel across his knees towards Ward - or rather, what he could see of Ward's legs from around the corner of the SUV.

Coulson suddenly stopped, his finger poised but frozen over the trigger.

Ward was completely inexplicable. He was balanced precariously, his hand outstretched towards Simmons, palm down, as though he was trying to calm down a distraught bystander. His expression had changed: his eyes, rather than the cold, feral deadness Coulson had just seen, were now completely panicked. His mouth moved, but no words came out.

Ward took another step closer to her, and Jemma backed away again, her face tense and terrified.

"Please don't jump."

The words were nearly borne away by the roar of the wind, but Coulson caught them, even if Simmons didn't. Ward's tone was one of forced calm, but Coulson could hear the barely concealed fear underneath.

"Push her!" The continual thuds and cracks from the Asgardians' vicious fight continued behind them, a strange background music to what was unfolding directly in front of Coulson.

Ward stepped forward to her, and Jemma backed away from him again, her face twisted with a mix of sorrow for her teammate and fear for herself. He stopped, reaching a hand towards her, and she flinched. Coulson could see hurt flicker inexplicably over Ward's face.

She stepped backward, backing away from him again. Her boot hit the large puddle and streaks of Coulson's blood on the floor, even as Lorelei screamed at Ward from above them. Suddenly the lights flickered back on, and the plane jerked out of free fall and back into a steady flight - the other three agents had succeeded.

The commotion, however, broke Jemma's concentration, and she suddenly slipped on the wet floor, her hands grabbing at the SUV but the smooth metal slipping through her fingers. Her cry of panic stopped Coulson's heart, even as he scrambled forward as best he could. "Simmons!"

Ward beat him to it. He jumped forward, grabbing her, his arms locked in an cross behind her back as he pulled her towards him so hard they stumbled backwards to the floor.

Coulson, ignoring the pain in his arms, fired the rifle once, hitting Ward in the leg. Ward glanced at him for a second, enraged, even as they collapsed on the floor. Simmons quickly pushed herself up from him, but Ward's body was already prone on the floor, even as the dendrotoxin worked its way up form his legs. Jemma flinched when Ward suddenly grabbed her hand. "Don't jump," his lips moved before he passed out.

Simmons gasped in shock, and Coulson watched a thousand emotions flicker over her face as she quickly gathered Ward into her lap, just as fast as she had pushed him away before. As his words finally dawned on her, her eyes softened, even teared up a little. She squeezed his hand, then gently brushed the wind-blown hair from his face.

Above them, Lorelei stared down in shock, watching her yes man lying on the ground. It was the opening the other needed; Sif clapped on a set of Asgardian restraints and pulled the enraged temptress back towards the interrogation room.

Fitz came tearing around the corner, his shoes skidding on the floor as he fairly flew down the stairwell. He took one look at the three of them on the floor, then hurried over to the open door and looked at the wiring, pulling them out of the panel and twisting a few together until the cargo bay door - what parts weren't damaged - slowly closed back up. He then dashed into the lab, returning with a pile of medical supplies.

"Start with the leg," Simmons replied, now fully in command again. "Get pressure on Agent Coulson's leg."

Fitz nodded, his gloved hands pressing straight into Coulson's wound with all the stoicism and expertise of an experienced medic.

* * *

The bus landed with a hard but welcome thump. A couple minutes after landing, May and Skye appeared at the top of the stairwell, clearly concerned and horribly worried. Skye bolted down the stairs towards them; May caught his eye.

Coulson gave her a small wave - as much as his bandaged hands could allow.

Fitz was washing up in the lab, and Skye was witting with Ward, who was lying on the medical bed she had just vacated, a breathing mask over his nose and mouth, a small machine making the liquid antihistamine into an aerosol. Simmons was gently adjusting the mask and checking the extra restraints Sif had left for them to use to keep Ward in check.

When Coulson stumbled to his feet, Skye got up, put one of his arms around her shoulders and helped him up the two flights of stairs to his office-slash-bunk. It was there that May greeted him, Skye tossing her a big grin and a thumbs up as the hacker headed back downstairs.

"Looks bad," May said, which counted as her being very worried.

"Missed my femoral artery," Coulson replied. "And it turns out Fitz is an excellent EMT except for the part of not liking blood." He nodded at the lights. "It looks like you guys got everything important online."

May shook her head. "More than. Fitz and Skye were excellent." She looked over at him, an amused look on her face. "You're going to say I told you so."

"I don't do petty," he repeated back to her with a small smile.

"They were good," May repeated in acknkowledgment. "Fitz is quite handy and Skye may not shoot a gun well, but she should pick up piloting quite easily."

Coulson just chuckled.

May nodded to the TV, which showed Ward in the med bay on one side of the screen and Lorelei in the interrogation room in the other. "How'd you get Ward to stop? Did you have to shoot him again with the night-night gun?"

"Yes. No." Coulson shook his head. "I - " he fell silent, watching the screen. Simmons was gently treating the cuts and bruises on Ward's knuckles; his hands wrapped tightly around hers for a moment.

"Simmons talked him down?" May asked, her voice neutral.

"Didn't even have to talk," Coulson murmured.

May said nothing.

"Whatever Ward did," Coulson suddenly interjected, pulling his eyes from the monitor, "he did it under the influence of Lorelei's powers. His choices weren't his own." He kept his voice neutral, his expression placid as he looked back at her.

May just looked at him with a side glance, her expression turning to slight amusement. "Are you defending him?"

"No, but I'm just pointing out the truth."

"Doesn't matter." May shrugged. "We both knew it wasn't a relationship."

Coulson was quiet. "I'm sorry, then," he said quietly.

May, however, seemed merely resigned, less so than hurt, as she watched the screen. When she spoke again, her voice was soft, almost airy in how distant and thoughtful it sounded. "Do you know why Simmons succeeded?"

Coulson just looked at her, frowning, not sure what she was implying. "I've been pondering that." His confused expression soon gave way to a slightly smug, self-satisfied one. "I'd bet Thor's hammer Lorelei's wondering, too."

May just grinned at that, her eyes crinkling at the corners. She turned to look back at the monitor. Simmons was packing up her things and quietly leaving the pod. "It's because you don't see," May said quietly as she continued to watch the TV, an enigmatic, faraway smile on her face. After a long pause, she said by way of explanation, "Lorelei gains power through seduction, providing men what they want on a temporary basis. To Ward, she and I are really no different."

"You and Lorelei are nothing alike," Coulson contradicted sharply.

"I don't plan world domination. But she and I, we were both using Ward for our own purposes." May then pointed at the screen before turning to Coulson, and he could see that ever-so-rare softness in her eyes. "But Jemma - you nearly gave your life to keep her safe, and she nearly gave up her life to save you. And six months ago, she nearly gave her life to save us all." She waved at the image of Simmons on the screen - dressed not unlike that autumn day when she had thrown herself out of the plane to save her teammates.

May sat down in the chair nearby. They sat in a comfortable silence for a long moment, watching Ward look bored, then finally pick up the tablet and read for a little. At that point, May finally spoke, smiling a quiet, bittersweet smile. "There is no greater love than one who lays down his life for another."

She took a deep breath. "The type of love Jemma shows - that tough, that committed, that self-sacrificing - that love is freedom. Not freedom to do whatever we want - that's not real freedom - but freedom to become what we were designed to be. Lorelei would never make Ward into a better man. He just needed to be reminded of that."

Coulson just stared back at her, silent.

"She's pure of heart, Phil." May's voice was soft. "Even this year Jemma's been on the bus, even as she gets more field experience, her heart is big, forgiving. She still pities the super-soldiers. She has compassion for the firefighters. You have no idea how attractive that is to a man like Ward.

"Lorelei gave him what he thought he wanted. Jemma showed him what he needs." May smiled quietly. "And that's why she succeeded."

They sat in silence for a long time, watching Ward on the screen as he swiped occasionally at the tablet and finally set it aside. He shifted around in his bed a little, then frowned, then seemed to nod off, a peaceful expression on his face.

"You think that's it?" Coulson said quietly.

May just shrugged. "Takes one to know one."

"You really think she has that effect?"

May turned fully to look at him. "The giver never knows the impact of the love extended. The receiver does." She smiled ever so quietly at him. "I told Ward once the same thing: people like him and me - we need people like Jemma - like you."

* * *

Sif stood at the designated spot in the desert, looking up to the sky, one hand on the restrained Lorelei. The bridge came down in a shot, and with it, several Asgardian warriors. "Don't lose her," Sif instructed the women, who nodded and surrounded their wayward countrywoman. They waited at the foot of the bridge as Sif turned to Coulson and to May. "Thank you for your help."

"Our pleasure." Coulson smiled. May simply nodded and shook the other woman's hand.

The warrior then turned to Fitz and Skye, thanking them. Fitz blushed at her compliments, and Skye just whispered that she wanted to meet Thor, if he could fit them into his schedule. Sif looked confused; Skye grinned wide even as May looked amused. Coulson sighed, resigned.

Sif was about to turn to go when there was a small noise on the ramp to the bus, and all turned to see Ward standing at the top of the ramp, in restraints, with Simmons standing near him. As they neared the group, Simmons said in sheepish apology, "I've always wanted to see the Bifrost, and Ward did, too."

Sif just smiled at that, looking amused.

"Would you mind very much if I just took a little piece to study?" Jemma asked, her eyes bright and shining eagerly. "But only, of course, if it doesn't damage the bridge permanently. If it does, would I be permitted to at least take pictures and swabs?"

May ducked her head, barely concealing her amusement. Coulson didn't even try.

"Of course," Sif replied, an indulgent smile on her face. "Come." She waved an arm forward, and the biochemist fairly flew towards the bridge, towing her rather large kit. The Asgardians looked at her in confusion, and then back to the Lady Sif, who was merely amused. Oblivious to the others' bewilderment, the biochemist chattered away to herself happily as she methodically took a piece from each color and then bagged and tagged them before carefully tucking them into her kit.

She gave each warrior a smile, then merely glanced at Lorelei before again approaching Sif, who stood by her team near the foot of the bridge. "Thank you, again," the biochemist said with a beaming smile. "This will be quite helpful. I hope Heimdall won't be too upset."

Sif laughed. "I will placate him." She was about to extend her hand in a final handshake of goodbye when Lorelei moved beside her.

The woman stepped up, looking the SHIELD agent over from head to toe, studying her intently. Agent Simmons frowned, her brow slightly furrowed, her eyes darting to Sif and back to Lorelei. Sif watched the wayward Asgardian with a cautious expression. The redhead studied the smaller woman for a full minute, then gave her sniff of disdainful dismissal and turned back to the Bifrost.

Simmons shot a baffled look at Lorelei's back, then looked to Sif for explanation. The warrior was no clearer on what that moment had been. She simply shook her head.

The Asgardian watched as Simmons trotted back to her team, chattering excitedly to her teammates even as Ward quietly look the large case from her, carrying it towards the plane's ramp for her.

"She is nothing," Lorelei pronounced as Sif and her team turned that prisoner towards the Bifrost. "I don't understand how she" the other woman spat the pronoun, as if the person to whom it referred was mere dirt beneath her feet "managed to break through the spell I had over Agent Ward."

At that, Sif's expression changed from one of caution and vigilant puzzlement to one of self-satisfied, amused comprehension. "If we enumerated all you did not understand, Lorelei, it would take us generations."

"I understand love in ways even you do not," Lorelei replied smoothly. "I understand all about the need for romance and the heady feeling of being in love."

"But you do not understand self-sacrifice," Sif replied with a quiet smile. "And Agent Ward does." She waved her team forward, and they guided Lorelei onto the bridge. She gave one glance backwards, then followed them up.

**end**


End file.
